A mixing apparatus for mixing ice cream and other frozen desserts with one or more additives typically comprises a funnel for holding the frozen dessert and additives, an auger with a spindle for creating a mixing action, an auger driver for rotating the auger spindle, and a linear actuator for relative movement of the funnel and auger into a position in which the auger is telescoped into the funnel, in which position a rotation of the auger will mix the different ingredients of the frozen dessert. The following disclosure relate to a mixing apparatus for making ice cream. The apparatus described is however well suited for mixing other types of desserts.
Ice cream is normally in hard form, while flavor additives may be fruits or nuts. The result of such a mixing is a semi-liquid ice cream in which the flavor additives are more or less distributed before being dispensed from the mixing apparatus.
Such apparatuses are known from a number of patents, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,887 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,889 describe apparatuses comprising an auger or agitator with a helical thread or cutter extending into a funnel or container for holding the ice cream and additives. The auger and funnel are relatively rotatable, and after some rotation the ice cream and additives have obtained a desired semi-liquid condition.